Holiday apartment in Boxmeer: pilgrimage, trails and Maasheggen
Accommodation in Boxmeer
Boxmeer combines sacred history, listed architecture and a landscape that can be explored on foot or by bicycle. At its center stands the Sint-Petrus Basilica, while the surrounding area, with the Maasheggen landscape of the Oeffelter Meent, offers a different perspective on the town. There are also circular walks, a distinctive procession tradition and historic traces along an old Roman road.
File:De kapel van Huize de Weijer te Boxmeer.jpg
Photo: Johan Bakker via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Castle, basilica and pilgrimage
Kasteel Boxmeer is a Dutch Rijksmonument and therefore a nationally protected historic monument. The Sisters of Julie Postel began using the castle as a hospital in 1896 and later as a nursing home. Today, the Julie Postel Castle Museum is located in the castle’s basement.
The Sint-Petrus Basilica stands at the center of Boxmeer. Its history dates back to the 4th century, when it was originally built of wood. The stone church was built in the 12th century and formed the basis for the present-day building. Around 1400, the Bloedwonder took place in the basilica. Boxmeer subsequently became a place of pilgrimage, where a procession passes through the streets every year on the second Sunday after Pentecost. The relic in the 1656 processional shrine is permanently displayed for veneration in the Bloedkapel.
The Boxmeerse Vaart is also part of this local tradition. It originated at the beginning of the 15th century and is a blood procession of great sociocultural significance. The cloth associated with it is kept in a silver reliquary and carried during the procession. The Vaartbeeldenroute makes this connection visible in the town center: six sculptures stand along the route taken by the Boxmeerse Vaart once a year.
Maasheggen and Oeffelter Meent
The Maasheggen landscape of the Oeffelter Meent lies in the immediate surroundings of Boxmeer. It has changed little over time and provides birds with abundant food, nesting opportunities and shelter. The Maasheggen are described as the oldest cultural landscape in the Netherlands and can be explored on foot or by bicycle.
Walks, cycling route and special dates
Several routes lead directly through Boxmeer’s history. “Langs heilige huisjes: Boxmeer” starts at the Carmelite Monastery at Steenstraat 39 and is a 4.1-kilometer circular walk. The Boxmeer walking route also passes through Steenstraat; there, you can use the Time Travel Steenstraat app to immerse yourself in the past. “Rondje Kasteel Boxmeer” starts at the entrance to Kasteel Boxmeer. A weekly Greeter walk also offers the opportunity to get to know the town.
For cyclists, a route of approximately 65 kilometers connects Cuijk and Boxmeer along the old Roman road. It follows signposted cycle junctions. Roman military standards, information boards and helmets in the road surface mark the section of the Roman road.
“Daags na de Tour” is a special event in Boxmeer’s events calendar. The event takes place in connection with the day after the Tour de France finishes in Paris and can be traced back to 1978.
More places for planning your trip
More places for planning your trip include Overloon, Sambeek, Vortum Mullem, Oeffelt, Vierlingsbeek, Groeningen and Maashees.
To the overarching travel overview: Boxmeer.
